Gannett Foundation to give more than $2 million in community-based grants

HeartBound Ministries works to connect children and incarcerated parents through the joy of reading(Photo: A Community Thrives)

The Gannett Foundation, sponsored by the USA Today Network's parent company Gannett Inc., is offering more than a dozen grants totaling $2.3 million to organizations trying to improve their communities.

A Community Thrives is a program that invests in organizations involved in projects related to education, arts and culture, wellness and other positive local initiatives.

Past grantees include $100,000 recipient Upward Intuition in Pensacola, Florida, for its plan to build a multipurpose community skateboarding plaza to combat crime and drug abuse. Atlanta nonprofit HeartBound was awarded a $50,000 grant last year to expand a program allowing children to read with their incarcerated parents during prison visitation.

The Gannett Foundation rolled its other significant grant-making program, Community Grants, into A Community Thrives this year in order for applicants to apply to both sources of funding.

For 2019, A Community Thrives will award 16 grants and offer bonus promotions. Three participants will receive $100,000; seven will receive $50,000; six will receive $25,000; and weekly bonus promotions will total $200,000.

In order to qualify for a grant, organizations must be affiliated with a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, be located within the U.S. and have a U.S.-based project that will improve a local community. Organizations will also have to agree to the official rules.

Approved organizations will move on to a fundraising phase, where they will work to reach goals based on the budget of their organization to become eligible for grants.

Organizations may submit applications at act.usatoday.com between Jan. 29 and Feb. 28. Fundraising begins on March 18. Grant winners will be announced on or around June 1.

Additionally, the Gannett Foundation will give $1.3 million in grants to USA TODAY Network markets nationwide to use toward community efforts. These grants will be a minimum of $2,500 and the number of grants will vary based on how local markets choose to award the funds.

Last year, The Community Grants Program awarded $2.3 million in 109 communities across the country supporting issues including hunger, literacy, housing, extended learning and many others.

A Community Thrives has already provided $1.2 million in grants to local communities, drove local communities to fundraise almost $1 million in one year and received submissions from people in 46 states plus the District of Columbia.